Frozen Over
by lexish30
Summary: After everything in Arendelle settled down, one of Hans's brothers came to pick him up. However, plans changed, and his feelings for Elsa started to burn through.
1. Chapter 1

A knock on the door snapped Prince Tomas out of his misery.

"Prince Tomas, we are about to dock at Arendelle!" A crew member called out. Tomas quickly tried to regain his composure as he stumbled out of the washroom, holding a hand over his mouth. He ran a hand through his ginger hair, and took in a deep breath of salty, sea air.

"Thank you. I'm feeling a little better now anyway." He said, walking over to the edge of the ship. Tomas leaned over, watching the solid anchors pierce through the crystal blue waters. As the ship pulled into the harbor, Tomas wobbled off onto the much sturdier docks. His advisor, John, pulled him along the walkway, chatting his ear off.

"Now remember, Sir, stand tall. You needn't worry about your sea legs here. We need to impress the queen to stay in the kingdom's good graces." John spoke, trying to ignore the prince's eye roll.

"Yeah," Tomas shrugged, "We'll see how that goes." He looked over the town, nervously eyeing up the grand castle as they reached the front gates.

On a balcony overseeing Arendelle, Queen Elsa sighed, surveying the people arriving into the harbor. She could feel her anxiety building within her stomach, and she tried to calm herself.

"Conceal...Don't feel…" She mumbled, turning around to face a window, of which she could see her vast ice castle up in the mountains. How she longed to be able to feel free once again! A quick rap on her bedroom door signaled that there was no time for fleeting thoughts.

"Your majesty…" One of the members of the guard stood in front of her, shifting nervously from foot to foot, "The brother has arrived for Prince Hans."

"Very well. Thank you." She replied curtly, and slipped on her turquoise gloves. _Just in case, _she told herself. _Conceal, don't feel..._Elsa looked up to see her sister Anna sliding down the spiraling staircase.

"Come on, Elsa! The sooner we get the slime ball out of here, the better!" She laughed.

"Anna, I know you're excited, but don't be so naive, you goose. Prince Hans is still part of their family; we have to be respectful." Elsa teased, pinching her cheek briefly.

"Yeah yeah, I know. But isn't it supposed to be quick? They get here, they take him, they leave." Anna clung to a nearby suit of armor and hung upside down; clearly unaffected by the seriousness of the situation. "I have plans with Kristoff after this…"

"From what I know, yes." Elsa stood up straighter and brushed off her purple silk dress, "You'll have the rest of the day after this," she smiled.

"Ugh," Anna groaned. "I wonder if the rest of 'em are just like him." Anna moved closer to Elsa now, frowning. "Say, why are you wearing your gloves?" She asked. Elsa looked down at her hands and sighed.

"Anna...I know that I won't ever try to hurt you again...b-but, if I hurt someone else right now, the kingdom would go into disarray again…" She mumbled.

"Why would that ever happen?! Everyone loves you! You're not alone anymore, Elsa." Anna grabbed one of the turquoise gloves, folding it under her arms. "You know that you can use your powers for good. WE know." She looked at the gates, then back at her sister. "Now, give me your other glove, and let's go let them in." Reluctantly, Elsa complied, handing the other glove to Anna. She nodded at the guards, and the sisters walked to the men near the gate.

Two men were standing at the entrance ahead of a group of guards dressed in white. They were talking quietly with one another, and only stopped to look up as Elsa and Anna approached.

"Welcome to Arendelle," Elsa forced a small smile, "I apologize for the circumstances that we have to meet under." One of the men, presumably an older brother of Hans's, bowed politely with the rest of his party following suit.

"Thank you, your highness, but it is really my kingdom that should be apologizing." He stood up straighter, and offered out a gloved hand. "And so I apologize before introducing myself, as Prince Tomas of the Southern Isles; the twelfth brother." As Elsa cautiously placed her hand in his, a small current shot up her arm. It felt as though she had shocked her hand, and she quickly pulled it away.

"Geh...m-must be static in the air, huh?" Tomas coughed nervously, glancing down at his glove. There was a small smolder mark in the palm, and he tucked his arm behind his back. "My apologies again. Now, not to be rude, but would you rather us collect the prisoner and set out right away? Or is it not too much to ask for permission to stay in town for a night to give my crew some rest?" Both Elsa and Tomas chewed on their lip nervously, but Elsa shook herself out of her daze.

"My sister is the one to ask for terms relating to Hans. If your crew needs the rest, you are welcome to stay." She folded her arms, tucking her hands into her sides to try and hide the frost growing up her arms.

"Oh, right, the princess!" Tomas turned to Anna, bowing once more in courtesy. "It is you of all people that deserves the biggest apology. I am deeply sorry for my brother's behavior. And it is entirely up to you as to how far you wish to extend your good graces."

He extended his opposite hand to her, and she took it hesitantly; looking towards Elsa for guidance. From her neutral glance, Elsa concluded that her sister had not felt the same shock that she had.

"It's your choice, Anna." Elsa said reassuringly. "If it at all helps, he can stay in the guarded prison for the night while his crew rests. Tomas coughed and shrugged his shoulders. "If it makes you feel better, I can stay there too. Though, I assure you that I do not share a mentality with my brother." Anna's mouth twisted up in thought before she spoke again.

"Hans can survive another night in his cell; Your men can stay here. It's not like we have guests very often anyway, and I won't be here much until the evening as is." She released Tomas's hand and smiled warmly. "Though, the innkeeper has his hands full with all the celebrating going on...and it's even less common to have guests in our palace…" She paced around in thought, "So I guess plans are that you'll stay with us. Is that okay, Elsa?" The older sister chewed on her dainty fingernails briefly before smiling as well.

"It will be the most fun we've had in a while, at least since the last ball. So why not?" She giggled.

"Yeah! Exactly! I'll even bring Kristoff back for a big dinner." She playfully punched Tomas's arm, who smiled wide.

"Thank you so much! We are eternally grateful!" He laughed, glancing over at Elsa.

"The guards will show you the way. If you'll excuse me please…" The queen turned off in a run, heading back inside the grand castle. Tomas turned to his own group.

"Please inform the crew of the situation, and bring our things to wherever directed." He slowly turned back to Anna. "Now your highness, if you please, I would like to briefly speak with Hans to deliver a message."

"Yeah, yeah, the guards can show you there too!" She waved back with a smile and took off after Elsa. Tomas exhaled, running a hand through his crimson hair. _Great…_

Near the castle, Elsa clutched at her hand; pacing madly back and forth. Her eyes frantically looked over the cool ice forming in her palm. _What in the name of…- _She looked up worriedly at Anna, who heaved breathlessly from running.

"I...I told you, Anna! Something happened!" Elsa growled, snatching her gloves back from Anna's dress pocket.

"What are you freaking out about? He didn't do anything weird...Was it because he's attractive?" She teased, grabbing Elsa's shaking hands. "I mean, I'm personally over redheads, but he isn't bad looking." She chuckled and squeezed her sister's hands gently, laughing as Elsa's cheeks flushed.

"Anna...no. We touched and there was a...a spark, or something…" Elsa yanked her hands away.

"Right?! That's exactly how I feel with Kristoff now whenever we hold hands." Anna giggled. "Granted, I thought I felt that way with Hans too...maybe that's it. Hey, should we see what they're talking about?" Elsa groaned and tugged at her white braid.

"Anna...just...nevermind. Go play with Kristoff or something."

"But one of us should at least be there to hear what they're saying. What if we can't trust Tomas?" Elsa raised an eyebrow at her sister; who for once spoke with some hint of responsibility.

"You're right," shrugged Elsa; chewing the inside of her cheek, "You go. Dinner will be at sundown." She shoved Anna's shoulders playfully, smiling.

"Really? Thanks Elsa!" Anna grabbed her sister in a crushing bear hug and turned to leave, but stopped and snickered. "I mean...your majesty." She bowed, laughing all the while. "Seeya!" Elsa rolled her eyes and turned back towards the prison, her gentle smile fading. _You bastard...you'll be lucky if I don't freeze your icy heart here and now for what you did to such a sweet girl. _


	2. Chapter 2

"And that's pretty much it. Don't expect much of a difference at home. As far as we are concered, you will be exiled to live with our Uncle; under constant supervision." Hans rattled the chains on his wrists and coughed.

"You can't even look at me to say something like that?" He sneered. Tomas glanced up through the bars of the cell door window.

"I have no reason to look at you, Hans. Keep in mind that the Queen is letting you off lightly, as are we."

Around the corner, Elsa listened carefully. She concluded that Tomas was on bitter terms with his brother, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"You act like you're all high and mighty now, but you're the baby. And even worse, you're a freak; just like the Queen." Hans laughed cruelly. That was it. Tomas roared and grabbed the cell window.

"Shut your mouth, Hans! I'm nothing like you!"

"Of course not! I'm normal!" Hans shook his shackles again. Around the corner, Elsa's eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"Shut UP, Hans! It's under control! I-in fact, I think it's disappearing. I can't do anything near what the Queen is capable of…" He grimaced as Hans laughed again.

"Then what's that burning smell? Did you burn a hole in your gloves again?"

"No. Of course not." Tomas growled. Elsa looked down at her gloves, and her gasp was audible enough that Tomas looked up in her direction. Elsa stumbled and hurried up the stairs, yelling for the guards. Tomas kicked the cell door and ran after the queen.

"Queen Elsa, wait! Please!" He looked up to see the queen talking briefly to the guards.

"I want you on high security. That man is a monster." Tomas's heart dropped, and his hands clenched instinctively when the guards rushed towards him; however, they continued rushing past him down into Hans's cell. Gah!...w-wait, what?

"Queen Elsa! Please come back!" Tomas scurried up, tripping on his own feet, and scurried after the princess. The blonde was walking towards the castle, holding her head in her hands.

"Conceal...don't feel…d-don't let it show…" She mumbled. When she noticed Tomas approaching her, her hand extended towards him, fingertips glowing an icy blue. "I-I'm so confused...and I don't want to hurt anyone…"

"Let's just calm down," Tomas hushed her gently, "What are you confused about?" His own hands raised in defense; also revealing the burn mark in his palm.

"Earlier...when we touched. What you and Hans were talking about…" Elsa looked down at her own trembling hands.

"Hans is just...not right. He's bitter; you know that, Queen Elsa. And it was just static between us earlier, remember? I-I had these holes earlier...I…" He sighed. "Okay. You can't tell anyone…"

"I see." She relaxed momentarily. "I'm sorry for overreacting...I didn't realize that you and Hans clashed so much. I can have the tailor get you some new gloves, if you like." Elsa turned back to the castle.

"Uhm...thank you..? A-as I said, Hans is bitter. We're probably partially to blame for that, but...please don't take what he said to heart." Elsa waved her hand, shrugging.

"No matter. So long as he cannot harm Anna anymore, he is none of my concern. Enjoy the rest of you day, Prince Tomas."

Tomas leaned against a pillar next to the blacksmith's workshop. Dammit…he sighed, pushing steam through the holes in his gloves. Further ahead, Elsa ran her hands through her messy bangs. Oh Anna...why did you have to say he was cute? She chewed her lip, glancing over her shoulder at Tomas, who was picking at the tattered cloth.

"Prince Tomas?" She piped quietly. He clasped his hands together quickly, standing straight. "Would you like to see the castle?" She smiled, "I should apologize for being...well…"

"Oh...oh sure! And don't worry about it!" He laughed nervously, "I'd love to see it!" He took off to catch up to her.

"I haven't really warmed up to anybody in forever; not even Anna yet. So, at least I could try to make a good impression during your time here." She chewed her lip again.

"I think both you and the princess are doing just fine! You're really cool, calm, and collected. I admire that." He smiled slightly.

"Well," Elsa giggled, "I try to be pretty cool." Laughing, she created a few snowflakes above their heads.

"Woah...that's really pretty...I suppose that it's true when they say no two snowflakes are alike, huh?"

"That's right! I've studied them, and even though they're fabricated with magic, each one is unique!" She beamed, creating a small snow flurry that followed the pair.

"It's really cool that you know how to make certain things out of it." Tomas reached a hand up to touch one before dropping his arm back to his side.

"When we were kids, I made Olaf the Snowman. My abilities brought him to life, even! Right now, he's watching over my Ice Castle. Anna likes me to stay at home though, since she still gets nightmares often...and when Kristoff isn't here, I like to try and comfort her…" Her voice faded off momentarily, but she shook her head and smiled. "In my Ice Castle, I'm so free!" Tomas tilted his head curiously.

You can be free here too, can't you? I mean, there's an ice rink by the gates that you made, right? Who says you can't edit this castle any way that you want to?"

"I just-...people like to be warm here. The cold doesn't bother me, but the others aren't so tough. Anna complains if I make even one little flurry inside," Elsa huffed.

"Well, you could always extend the castle." Tomas put a hand on her shoulder, turning her; his skin abnormally warm, even through his gloves. "See, over there! You could freeze a small portion of the water to put a place of your own there, and connect it to the castle, keeping both parts at normal temperatures." Elsa shuddered from the warmth of Tomas's hand, and tapped her chin in thought. Yeah, I suppose that could work. "It's not a big part of the harbor," he continued, "and there's no place to dock there anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem. You can have your own comfort place, and still be close to your sister."

"Possibly!" Elsa continued walking, dispersing the snow as they entered the castle doors. There isn't much to do here though without causing trouble, she thought to herself. "What do you like to do, Prince Tomas?"

"It's not empty; there's all kinds of beautiful artwork here. I don't get to do much by myself, though. I'm the second youngest brother, I'm not in charge, and I still have to do most of the chores that no one else wants to."

"Is that why you're here to pick up Hans by yourself?" She asked.

"Eh heh…" Tomas chuckled, "Kind of. It's also nice to get away from the family once in a while." He shrugged his shoulders, smiling sheepishly at Elsa. "Not to sound like I came here to gawk, but I also wanted to get a glimpse of what you can do…"

"Really?" Elsa giggled, "Well...where can I show you?"

"Huh? You don't have to anymore if you don't want to."

"I want to!" Elsa grabbed his hand and took off running through the castle. She tried to ignore the current that shook through her arm; much like the feeling earlier. Tomas bit his lip and tried to contain the building heat within his cheeks.

The pair reached an empty room that contained a simple table next to a shining window. The sunlight shone off of the white walls, and Elsa let go of Tomas's hand.

"This used to be a studio that my mother liked to stay and work in for hours on end. I come down here when I need to be alone...or when I like to do this-..." She waved her hand over the ceiling, and a gentle snow began to fall down on their heads.

"Oh wow…" Tomas smiled faintly and pulled his jacket collar up over his neck, and tucked his sleeves into the rims of his gloves. "That's so neat!" Elsa grinned from ear to ear, and swirled a pile of snow up into an icy form of herself, who began to dance. The form twirled around Tomas, and snowflakes twinkled like stars in the sunlight. "Thats...so beautiful…I don't know anyone else who can do anything like it." He muttered.

"It's nothing…" Elsa blushed, and the snow in the air swirled slowly around her. Tomas shuddered as he felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. Noticing a slight amount of steam rise off his skin, he walked around to try and act casual.

"It's anything besides 'nothing'. You could do so much with this." Elsa blushed and tugged on her braid, not noticing the dripping snow melting off of the ceiling. Tomas gulped, and tugged on his collar. "H-hey! Could you show me the rest of the castle?" Tomas grabbed her hand, and started leading her out of the room. "I'd love to see the whole place before dinner!" He smiled.

"Sure!" Elsa let go after a moment, waving her arms at the rows of armor and paintings in the hallways. "Anna loves the paintings and the ballroom the most, but I like all of the balconies. I can see every inch of Arendelle that way; it's comforting. So...tell me about you, Prince Tomas! If you don't mind; I mean, I know that walking is awful interesting and everything."

"Me?" He asked, "As I said, I don't get to experience a whole lot. I like traveling when I can, and I like to read. I'm usually by myself at home, so I absorb myself in books."

"Well, we have a giant library," Elsa grinned, but her smile curved downwards quickly, "If you ever come back here, that is…"

"I would love to come back!" He beamed. "Really, I would!"

"Really?" Elsa hugged his arm. As she leaned against him, the sunlight caught the shine of her hair, and made her entire complexion glow. The tremor feeling rushed through his entire core. Tomas swallowed hard, feeling his face flush.

"Um...Yes, of course. I really like it here." He breathed out slowly, trying to calm down his racing heart. Elsa looked up at him with a genuine smile.

"This is the first good day I've had in a while...thank you." She smiled, rubbing her arm nervously. "You're so warm though!"

"Eheh, you think so?" He stammered, "I get that a lot. High body temperature, I guess." He bit his lip, changing the topic. "Despite the circumstances, I've had a really nice day here so far. I've never had someone take so much interest in me."

"Other than Anna, I've never really talked with anyone for more than a few minutes…" Her brow furrowed and she placed her cool palm against Tomas's forehead, causing some steam to rise. "Tomas! That's not normal! I'm going to call for a doct-"

"No!" He shouted, flailing his arms. "I am totally okay! Just a high temperature! And I mean, you're probably a little colder than normal too, right?" He grasped her shoulders and the same steam rose up again. Elsa shrugged her shoulders and looked into his eyes with a confused look.

"What did you mean earlier with Hans? When you said that you can't do as much as me?" Elsa frowned.

"I...I…" He groaned and pulled his hands back, putting them behind his head. "Can we go to the balcony? I'll show you…" Elsa complied, and she led him around the corner to a pair of grand doors that looked back towards the Ice Castle. "Okay." Tomas took a deep breath and removed his gloves, tucking them into his belt. "I'm only going to do it once though, alright?" Elsa nodded and folded her arms, tilting her head curiously.

He cupped his hands in a small circle over his mouth, and blew steam through the hole that they created. He continued blowing until a small red flame started to grow between his fingers. He stretched his arms out to his shoulders in a fiery line before he slapped his hands together and extinguished the fire. Dancing sparks floated above his head, and he looked over at Elsa, whose jaw was clenching and unclenching nervously.


	3. Chapter 3

"F-fire?!" She exclaimed, huddling her arms to her chest, "That's wonderful…"

"Not really." Tomas quickly put his gloves back on and sighed, "All fire can do is destroy and hurt."

"Fire is the essence of life. It warms people. It melts away the coolness of winter. It cooks food. It keeps people alive. All that the ice and snow does is scare people; makes them sick, and makes them complain." Elsa countered.

"Ice can MAKE life, and ice can be controlled. Fire has never truly been tamed by man; though it can be influenced for the god of warmth and the evil of war. It has a mind of its own. Sometimes, nothing can stop it from destroying the life it once preserved."

"Ice can take that life away slowly and painfully. It makes people miserable and it makes them suffer. It destroys harvests and livestock. No one likes either of us!" She cried, voice rising in anguish.

"Wrong!" He yelled back, "Everyone in your kingdom loves you, Queen Elsa! You know how to control your powers and how to use them to improve your citizens' lives."

"NO! A few days ago, they all wanted to kill me! Many of them still believe that I'm a monster! I can't-..." Elsa's voice cracked, and she clutched at her head, sinking down to the ground as snow began to swirl around her. "I'll freeze someone again...they'll die…"

"I'm sure that's not true! It was my brother and the ambassador of Weaselton who wanted to hurt you. They convinced the others that you were someone else. If you weren't 'safe', the people would have revolted against your leadership once you came back. You know how to control your powers, Elsa." He comforted, taking a step towards her. "We've all seen it. You just have to trust yourself." He gripped her wrists to pull her hands away from her sobbing face. Icy tears fell down from her face, and she choked on her own sobs.

"I'm s-scared...h-hug me…?" She looked down at her feet.

"Uh…" Tomas pulled her into a gentle hug against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He tried to keep his breathing slowed down, keeping his temperature from spiking. "You don't need to be scared…" He murmured.

"You don't have to be scared either…" Elsa rested her blonde head on his shoulder. "Fire is a beautiful thing...I-I'm a little jealous." She giggled through sniffling.

"Well, sometimes it is. It's like my core is fire itself, because I'm always too warm for other people. I literally give off steam if I get too excited." He loosened his grip on Elsa, looking over her head at the mountains.

"That's silly," she laughed, "I create a small snow flurry around me if I get excited or nervous…"

"Now if I need to hide my powers, it's not so funny. But, I suppose it is kindof funny to witness…" He mumbled sheepishly with a faint smile.

"So...if I were to tickle you?" Elsa brushed her fingers under his arms.

"Gah!" He leaped away. "Yes, I suppose so…" He jerked back as she tickled his stomach. "Nopenopenopenope!" His face flushed as he scooted back against the balcony edge, steam rising off his red face. Elsa laughed and reached to tickle behind his ear and down his neck.

"You can't escape the queen!~" She teased.

"Ack!" He scrunched his neck down as more steam floated upwards. She tickled more and continued laughing.

"Whatcha gonna do?" She laughed harder. Tomas growled playfully and picked her up by her waist, lifting her up and away onto the balcony edge and took a large step back. "Hey!" She stuck her tongue out and created a small ice bridge around the balcony; just in case she were to fall.

"What do you mean, hey?!" He snapped, but was quickly quieted with a snowball to the face. He wiped his face clean, raising an eyebrow at her. "That's hardly fair, Elsa. I can't do anything back!" He gulped as she created a giant pile of snow and hovered it over his head. "Wh-Wha? What am I supposed to do? GAH!" He raised his arms above his head as the snow fell, creating an instantaneous wave that soaked him to the bone. Elsa fell back laughing her fool head off.

"Queen Elsa…" Tomas pouted, shaking out his dripping arms.

"Oh…" Elsa's eyes widened, jumping down off the balcony. "Did I hurt you?" Tomas laughed and shook his arms at Elsa, getting her wet as well.

"I'm fine, just soaked." He chuckled.

"Oh, I know!" She waved her hands over his body, pulling out the water from his clothes that formed into small ice spheres. He shivered from the sudden cold, and smoothed out his jacket.

"Thank you...now then," He blew a gust of hot air at her, sending her wintery hair all over the place into a white afro.

"Hey!" She brushed it down and pulled it back into a braid. "See? Useful." Tomas laughed again.

"That was a nuisance, not useful. It was payback. If I did much more than that…" His voice lowered to a grave tone, "I'd burn you." Elsa stepped towards him and touched his hand, causing him to twitch slightly.

"It's okay. You won't hurt me, and I won't hurt you." The setting sunlight covered the pair in a hazy magenta light, and Tomas frowned.

"I've heard that before from someone I hurt…" He squeezed her hand softly, "But, we just met, after all. It's almost dinnertime, isn't it? What is Anna doing?"

"Anna? Oh, right! Dinner!" She straightened out her dress, creating an icy blue dinner gown under her fingers." Tomas watched with an open mouth.

"If I did that, I'd light my pants on fire." He smirked, "Care to lead me to the dining room?" He offered his hand, bowing gracefully. Elsa curtsied and placed her hand in his palm.

"It would be my pleasure!" She led them down the stairs with a goofy smile upon her face.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa and Tomas headed down a grand hallway decorated with ornate paintings and statues of past royals, talking up a storm the whole way. When they entered the dining room, smells of delicious spices and meats filled their nostrils. Anna and Kristoff were already situated next to each other, giggling and playing with each other's faces. John, Tomas's advisor, was sitting unhappily at the end of the table whilst occupying himself with a knife. When Tomas and Elsa walked a bit closer to take a seat, Anna looked up briefly and her face flickered in confusion.

"Oh, hey Elsa! Hey...Tomas…?" Her blue eyes glanced downwards to their linked hands. Elsa blushed and moved aside, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear.

"I was just...we had to...never mind." She giggled, sitting across from her sister.

"Mhm...whatever you say, Elsa." Anna looked over to Tomas shuffling awkwardly, and smiled. "Come on, Prince Tomas. Come sit down!" He looked over at Elsa and then to John, before sitting down next to Elsa.

"Ehem," he cleared his throat and folded his hands, "Thank you again for providing for us today, your majesties."

"It's the least we can do, under the circumstances." Anna smiled and nodded, looking up excitedly at the chef entering with a tray full of silver platters. John sipped his drink and nodded as well.

"Thank you again. The crew and I have enjoyed our stay here thus far. Everyone is very accomodating, and the views here in your kingdom put a man at ease." He grinned as the table was quickly filled with a wide range of fruits, vegetables, meats, and sweets. Anna wasted no time and dove into stuffing her face full of goodies, and Tomas smirked slightly.

"So...all issues are finished with Prince Hans, I think? As long as he can't cause anymore problems here, he's all yours once you and your crew arrive home." Tomas nodded and sat up straighter in his chair, leaning past Elsa to grab some green beans.

"Yes; we can set out whenever you would like us to tomorrow, as soon as my crew is ready we will be out of here like the wind." Elsa stiffened and set down her forkfull of chicken, and looked up at her sister.

"Anna, may I speak with you when you're finished?"

"Hmm? Mhmm, shurrr." She mumbled with her mouth still full. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her face clean. The two women closed the door behind them, and Tomas slouched down in his chair nervously. Kristoff raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.

"So...you're Hans's brother?" His lips curled up in a forced smile.

"Yes, unfortunately…"

"I'm not too concerned about it, I mean, so long as I'm here, no one is going to hurt Anna. But the Queen? What are your intentions with her? I'd like to assume that you aren't working with Hans on anything…" Kristoff frowned.

"If I were to be working with him, I highly doubt I'd be sitting here," Tomas scoffed slightly. "I'm just as disgusted with him as the rest of you are. My entire family is. As for Queen Elsa, she was just showing me around today to try and make the best of a poor situation."

"I see." Kristoff nodded and leaned back in his chair, picking his teeth with a fork. Tomas sighed and began occupying himself by stabbing at the leftover food on his plate.

"What's up with you, Elsa? You're acting all goofy." Anna folded her arms, eyeing up her pacing sister curiously.

"I feel so fuzzy...and stupid…" Elsa blushed and spun around in circles, laughing slightly. "Prince Tomas is so unlike Hans…"

"Oh Elsa…" Anna pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a long breath. "Don't take what I said earlier so seriously. I mean, I thought Hans was great at first too, and wasn't it you who said that it's foolish to fall for someone you just met?" Her blue eyes held a serious expression, and Elsa froze mid-twirl.

"I…" Her smile faded and she looked out the window. "You're absolutely right, Anna. Forgive me. H-have a good night." She briskly ran out of the hallway and took off down the stairs towards the back mountains.

"Elsa!" Anna chased after her until she reached the doors; eyes wide. "What am I supposed to tell them?!" She gripped the door frame, groaning. Another temper tantrum like before, and Arendelle is going to be frozen over again. Elsa continued running with her braid flying behind her. A giant wave of snow engulfed her, and she used it in propelling herself up the mountainside quicker. Anna dashed back inside to the dining room to where the men were sitting idly, but jolted up at Anna's dismayed expression.

"Krist...off…" Anna huffed, doubling over on her knees, "Elsa is having...a...another tantrum...or something...She's really upset...Can you take me...up there?" She glanced up with panic in her eyes. John stood up first, and shot a glance at Tomas with crossed arms.

"She...won't freeze you again, will she?" Kristoff gulped, his skin paleing.

"Nono, I think she's more upset at someone else…" Anna glared over at Tomas, who threw up his arms. "That being said, I think that Prince Tomas should be coming with. But, someone needs to stay here…" Anna looked down at her feet. "Kristoff, do you think that you could take him up there?" Kristoff shifted uneasily, and looked over at a panicking Tomas.

"What do you think, pipsqueak? You think you can make it? I am a master ice climber, after all," Kristoff boasted. Tomas stood up taller, frowning.

"You've got an inch on me, at best. I can handle the ice just fine."

"Fine, fine," Kristoff shrugged and adjusted his vest and stepped towards Anna; scooping her face up into his beastly hands. "Can you handle the castle until we get back?" He said softly, his eyes full of worry.

"Well, I'll have to do it eventually, right? I'd rather do it myself than force you to be in charge. Just keep an eye on this guy, and come back safe."

"Of course." Kristoff nuzzled her gently, and then turned to face Tomas. "Well? Let's go get the Queen. Again." He groaned.

"Ah, alright. But, why is she upset? What did I do wrong?" He glanced back at Anna, who rolled her eyes, as if the answer was written on her face. Kristoff slipped on his wool hat and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't need anything this time, since her stairs are still there and I have a fabulous new sled," Kristoff grinned, and Anna beamed proudly. "So let's just get going." He kissed Anna's forehead once before walking out the door, and Tomas hurried after him.

"We should hurry before anyone notices she's missing," Tomas piped up quietly.

"Agreed. The kingdom is still on iffy terms with her." Kristoff broke into a run, and slipped his glove off briefly to whistle sharply into the cool night air. "Sven! Where's the sleigh?" A fluffy brown creature dashed towards the men, and bounded around Kristoff like a little puppy. He scooped Kristoff up onto his back and the pair dashed into a nearby stable barn. Tomas did his best to keep up with the reindeer, and had to leap into the sleigh as Sven broke into a run out of the town.


	5. Chapter 5

Elsa slammed the icy door shut and cried out in anguish through the empty castle.

"Stupid girl!" She cried to herself, throwing over delicate ice statues that she had once taken so much pride in crafting; down to the intricate snowflake details. "You're just like your idiot sister!" A bouncing bundle of snow rolled down the icy stairs, and waddled towards the distressed queen.

"Elsa! You're back!" It said, extending its stick arms towards her. "I watched the castle just like you said!"

"Oh...oh Olaf…" Elsa clutched at the happy snowman, and sobbed into the fluffy snow.

"Whatsa matter, Elsa?" He patted her back gently, worry contorting his brow.

"Am I not allowed to like anyone? Or enjoy the company of anyone besides my sister?" Elsa sighed, "I thought, that maybe since everything was back to normal, that I might have been able to...but Anna said I'm acting too childish; I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Anna likes someone though." Olaf tilted his head until it stuck crooked. "Why can't you?"

"I just met this person, silly. I suppose it's not proper...it's not correct behavior for royalty. No, it's not normal behavior for anyone." Olaf smiled and lifted up her face in his tiny hands.

"Well you can like someone. It isn't something to cry about; love is good!"

"I don't know anything about him, Olaf. But...I felt some kind of connection…" Elsa frowned.

Elsa sat down besides Olaf and splayed her legs out, looking up towards the top of the castle's highest peak. She spoke of what she overheard from Tomas and Hans's conversation, as well as the magical powers that he apparently also possesses. She told Olaf of all of the day's oddities, from the initial shock she felt from her physical contact with the prince, to the deja vu she had when being confronted by Anna.

"I feel even more foolish for coming all the way up here now, but I suppose deep down I was probably looking for an excuse," she sighed.

"Then why don't you un-run and go back home? I'm sure Anna is worried about you coming up here alone."

"Anna is the one who told me I was acting childish. If I go back home now, she'll know that she was right. I can't control myself; not my attitude, not my mood, and not my powers. They won't ever go away, and I'll always be a monster."

"No, no Elsa! You're not a monster. You've always had the power to control it; with love. If anything, what you're feeling should make it harder to use your powers around him, right?" Olaf smiled and Elsa sat back on her heels slightly. That might be true, she thought to herself. Suddenly, the doors slammed open once more, and Kristoff stood with a gloved hand raised.

"Your majesty?" He questioned, but fell back as Olaf waddled over happily.

"Kristoff! You came to visit!" He grinned. Kristoff laughed and scooped the snowman up into his hands and re-adjusted his carrot nose, making the goofy snow creature giggle and snort. Tomas rushed inside, looking around at the empty floor and halls.

"You're the snowman that the queen made, right? Where is she? Is she alright?" Tomas asked.

"Oh! Well she was talking to me a minute ago about somebody that she wants to like and how Anna doesn't want her to, and now she's upstairs because you scared her!" Olaf replied all too cheerfully.

"Why are you smiling when you tell that story?" Tomas's face scrunched but he shook his head. "Ah, nevermind. Queen Elsa!" Tomas started heading up the icy stairs, gripping the side rails carefully as to not slip. Kristoff stayed behind and continued talking to Olaf, and Tomas eventually reached a grand balcony where he could see Elsa standing with her back to him.

"Queen Elsa…? He stepped carefully out onto the ledge.

"Don't!" She shouted, flashing her hand out towards him. A thick ice wall instantly formed between them, and Tomas jumped back reflexively. "I don't want to hurt you…"

Tomas took his gloves off and tucked them into his belt again, shaking his head slightly.

"Why would you hurt me?" He asked softly.

"Because...I'm foolish. I wasn't using my head earlier, and I let myself feel..things." She turned back out to look over Arendelle.

"You didn't hurt me," Tomas sighed and placed his bare palms against the ice. Slowly, the ice began to melt under his touch with steam rising above his head. So long as he continued to approach her slowly, he figured that he wouldn't frighten her. "You got my clothes wet earlier, but that was all in good fun. I don't understand why you're upset." The ice was nearly melted through in some spots, and started to bend at Tomas's heat and weight.

"I was excited that someone new was talking to me. Someone that could understand what I was going through; but I acted like a child, and I got carried away." She straightened her back and frowned.

"I see…" Tomas's face flushed, and his hands pushed straight through the ice with the rest of his body following suit. He stumbled to catch his footing, but ended up slipping on the icy floor and fell flat on his face. "Umph!" Elsa jumped and whipped around quickly, sliding to her knees to help Tomas up. He lifted his head, smiling weakly with crimson blood trickling down his nose. "N-no, ib was my fault, really. I wasib paying attention." A light amount of steam began to rise up from his red face.

"Tomas!" Her icy eyes filled with concern, and she tore a section of her dress off to dab at his nose. "Does it hurt?" She asked worriedly.

"Nob really, I just bumped ib." Tomas tilted his head back and smiled faintly. Elsa leaned back on her calves and looked out at the kingdom again.

"I ran away again," she laughed weakly and grimaced. Tomas tucked the piece of cloth up his nose to slow the bleeding.

"Guh...But you can still go back. Is dere anything stobbing you?"

"It's a silly reason," Elsa pouted, and covered her face as small snowflakes laced their way down her arms.

"If it's silly, den it's easily fixable, right? How can I help?"

"I don't really know how to...like anyone. Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf are my only friends, and I've certainly never really talked to anyone like you before."

"If it makes you feel better, I really don't have any friends at all." Tomas sat back and tucked his hands in his lap. "I was engaged once, but that...didn't work out. So, I don't have any romantic experience either." He turned his side to Elsa and took in a deep breath. "I've never met anyone like you before either, but it's safe to say that I...well...I like you. Not like, like you like you; I mean I like you, but…" He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up with a red face and a small smirk.

"May...may I ask what happened?" Elsa tugged on her braid nervously. The smile on Tomas's face instantly dropped, and he raised his hand that covered itself in fire.

"I hurt her. It was an accident, but…" His voice cracked.

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Elsa's whole composure softened.

"Well, I'll never have to worry about marrying into royalty." He said grimly. "Any nearby kingdom knows that she was hurt because of me; not how, but still. No one wants my blood in their land because I'm either bad luck or too violent for their people." He looked over his shoulder again at her. "She didn't make it...so there isn't anyone that knows what really happened…" He cleared his throat, "But it's not a sob story! It happened a long time ago, and it just changed the relationships I had with people."

"Still," Elsa sighed, "Word has been spreading across the seas of what happened here and how dangerous I could be. How am I supposed to rule like that? I can't even make up my mind what to have for breakfast each morning, let alone how to continue ruling a kingdom."

"Well, all of your people seem to be fond of you, and you have your sister to help you. She'll always be by our side." Tomas scooted a little closer to her and removed the cloth from his nose.

"Anna is so thick headed some days," She scoffed, "It's a miracle anything gets done around here. She's off adventuring with Kristoff most days anyways."

"Well, if you ever needed her help, you could always just ask. There's your advising staff as well," He offered.

"Feh, just nitwits that want me to get married and leave everything to the king." She waved her hand carelessly.

"Well, I don't think you need that either. You should marry for love."

"The only love I know is for Anna; I'm a fool otherwise." She twirled a lock of hair in her fingers. "And don't go poking fun at me! I'll freeze you," She teased.

"I didn't say anything! And I'll just melt myself out…" He grinned. "And since you have control of your powers now, there hasn't been any problems, right? So why are you so worried?" Tomas stretched out his arms and his eyebrows raised curiously.

"Well, what if I meet someone? What if I get so upset over it that I freeze everything again?"

"You, uh…" He took in a deep breath, "You didn't freeze anything though. Meeting someone you like shouldn't do anything to change that; I think." He froze up as Elsa's cool hand touched his cheek, and he shuddered as he felt the small spark like earlier. "This just makes you more interesting," He smiled and looked up at the rising moon illuminating the ice castle. "Should we get going?" Elsa pulled her braid to the side and glanced up at Tomas; her eyes full of shimmering moonlight.

"If you like. Isn't this beautiful?" She smiled, looking up at the clear sky.

"Y-yeah, you look really good like that…" A goofy smile spread across Tomas's face before his eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. "Uh, the moon! Yep, the moon looks really cool. Really. Pretty, uh. Yep." He stammered. Elsa laughed and rose to her feet, and they made their way down the spiraling stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

The trio began their trip down the mountain side. Kristoff rode in the front of the sled with Elsa, and Tomas sat in back. Sven trotted ahead casually, and Elsa eventually turned around to face Tomas and linked a finger around one of his.

"She made me think that I couldn't like you...When I think that I might be able to…" She whispered, glancing over at Kristoff. Tomas gulped nervously and looked down at their hands.

"I think you could too...I think I could. I mean, uh, I do. Like you, that is." He ran his free hand through his hair and groaned. "I can't talk…" Up front, Kristoff shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes with a smile, while continuing to look forward. Elsa giggled slightly and let go of Tomas's finger.

"Well, I guess it's been a pretty good day overall then, huh?" She asked.

"It has indeed. I can't wait until-...tomorrow." Tomas sighed and his lips curled downward, making Elsa frown as well.

"Perhaps you could come visit again soon?" She offered.

"I'd like to; if I can get away. I'd need a good excuse."

"Well, you could always stay and work on your abilities with me. We could work on controlling them together…" Tomas's head snapped up suddenly.

"You know, that's just crazy enough to work!"

"You really think so?"

"The majority of my family is sympathetic to my situation-"

"-and your crew is competent enough to bring Hans back! With my kingdom mellowed out and Anna busy with-..." Elsa tilted her head towards Kristoff slightly. Tomas's eyes lit up even more as he grinned.

"We could be together all the time! I can control it! I can be free!" He smiled even wider, and Kristoff opened his mouth to say something. Tomas cleared his throat.

"I'll have to write a letter to send home tonight though."

"I'm sure they will understand." Elsa said.

"Ah, but the king might, my father might-" Tomas started to say before Kristoff interrupted him.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure I've heard this story before. Elsa, is this really a good idea?"

"What's wrong with it?" She asked defensively, reeling her head back to the front of the sleigh.

"We barely even know this guy" Kristoff said, tipping his head back to Tomas, "And no offense, but I would expect you of all people to be a little more-"

"I know him!" Elsa snapped.

"Okay, okay!" He grumbled, leaning away from her, "I'm just saying, be careful. If you and Anna aren't going to be wary, I'll have to be, and that's hardly my job."

Elsa smiled as Kristoff accepted defeat, "I don't think you will have anything to worry about," she glanced over her shoulder.

Tomas smiled nervously while glancing at Kristoff, who was mumbling to Sven as the sleigh as it pulled into the barn. They briskly walked back to the castle gates, aware of how much time had gone by since their departure. Tomas pinched the bridge of his nose as he saw his advisor pacing madly a few feet in front of them. John looked up and grimaced when he made eye contact with Tomas.

"I'm really, really sorry, John. We were having an important discussion and just lost track of time." He looked over at Kristoff who nodded in agreement and nudged Elsa to follow him inside. She bit her lip at Tomas who smiled slightly before he looked back to John.

"I'm sure it was of utmost importance, Sir." He growled lowly.

"I hope you weren't too worried," He replied curtly. "I'm deeply sorry, but I do have wonderful news to discuss with you." He rocked on the balls of his feet, and sighed. "Are you angry?"

"Do you have any idea how disgraceful your actions are, Prince Tomas?" John grabbed Tomas's collar and pulled him down to his level. "Mixing fire and ice?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't done a single thing wrong, John." He shoved his hands against the man's shoulders and staggered back. "Queen Elsa has offered to help me, if not simply help me study on how to better control my abilities." Tomas wiped his forehead and sighed. "So I'll be staying here."

"Wait, what?!" John sputtered and shook his head, "Never mind that. You expect me to believe I haven't been watching all of your little "sparks"? And the way you both behaved during dinner?" John groaned and eyed him over carefully. "Whatever. You just keep your brother in mind, Tomas. The last thing our kingdom needs is to switch one son out of prison for another one."

"John! I didn't-"

"And you better come up with something good for me to tell your family about this little vacation you're planning; I will not be blamed for any of this!" John turned his back to the gates and headed inside, steaming.

"But…!" Tomas shouted, "I didn't-!...Agh!" He stomped his foot onto the cool ground and stormed in after John. Inside the main entrance to the castle, Tomas paced around the main floor. "How does one act in this situation? I don't want to cause her anymore trouble, but...she likes me, and I like her too. I think." He raked his hands through his messy red hair, and let out a long breath of steam through his nose. "I have to get over this steam thing too," He grumbled, puffing another gust through his nostrils. Tomas looked over to a familiar form waddling towards him. Olaf? When did he get here?

"Steam? Steam is a good thing for warming up!" He piped in happily.

"Uhm...steam isn't a good thing; at least in my case. When I want to be close to someone, it gets in the way." Tomas rubbed his eyes.

"But steam makes you all cozy and fuzzy and melty. Good summer feelings!" Olaf exclaimed as he plopped down on the ground next to Tomas, who eventually sat down beside the snowman. "At least you have steam and not sticks." Olaf waved his little wooden arms around. "Nope, nope, nope. Sticks are no good." Tomas laughed softly and looked down at his bare hands.

"I suppose that's true; I'm glad that I don't have sticks." Tomas chuckled.

"Say, are you the person that Elsa was talking about earlier?"

"Uh, that depends, what did she say?" Tomas asked the snow creature, tilting his head.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I should tell you..I don't even know your name!"

"A-ah, well, my name is Tomas," he stood and bowed to Olaf as he spoke, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi Tomas! I'm Olaf! And between you and me-" The little snowman motioned for Tomas to get closer to him. Tomas immediately followed his lead and leaned down towards him.

"Yes?"

"Closer."

"Uh.." Tomas kneeled down next to Olaf.

"Closer."

"Um.." Tomas slouched his shoulders and leaned his head towards the snowman's mouth."

"Closer."

"Olaf!"

"Well, between you and me," Olaf cautiously looked around the area before whispering in Tomas's ear, "I think she likes someone."

Tomas furrowed his brow, "I see."

"But it's a secret," Olaf said, pressing one of his stick-arms to Tomas's mouth.

"Alright, alright! I get it. Thanks Olaf."

"You can't tell anyone."

"I know."

"Ever."

"I know, Olaf."

"I'm trusting you."

"Olaf!"

"Hi!" The snowman smiled at him.

Tomas rubbed his hands over his face in irritation. "I- I should find my way to my room so that I can take care of that letter, huh?" He climbed up off his knees.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but it sounds important! Go do it!" Olaf said happily. Tomas started heading up the stairs, when he saw a light blue piece of fabric whip around the corner. Elsa?

As he walked down the hallway, he passed what he assumed to be Anna's room. He could hear her and Kristoff giggling to each other, and he was careful to tiptoe past. He saw Elsa head into a room at the end of the hallway, and he remembered John saying something about how his room was next to the queen's. He opened his door slightly, before glancing over at the blue door painted with white snowflakes, and stepping over to it. Lightly rapping on the door, he cleared his throat quietly.

"Ahem...Queen Elsa?" The door opened under his knuckles, and Elsa was standing before a dresser in a short white nightgown; brushing out her long hair. She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Tomas! What are you doing?" She asked in a high voice.

"Ah!" His face flushed, and he bowed his head apologetically. "Well...for one, I didn't get to say goodnight properly. B-but I also was wondering if you were up for helping me write my letters home. I'm not exactly sure of what to say," He admitted softly.

"Oh, of course!" Elsa walked over and stepped aside to let him in, before closing her door behind him. She walked over to a wooden desk and grabbed a pen. "What were you looking to say?"

"Well, I have to explain what your intentions are, my intentions, and mostly, I have to find a way to tell my brothers that I won't be around to pick up the slack. Oh! And I need to prevent my entire family from coming here," Tomas groaned.

"Hmm…" Elsa tapped her chin in thought, "My studies are for the research on your magical capabilities; for the benefits and possible drawbacks. There are 11 of them there to watch over Hans and your kingdom, and if they can't manage it without you, they need to learn to grow or you'll be next in line before them."

"I can't say that!" Tomas gulped, his amber eyes widening like dinner plates, "They'd kill me! They'd sail all the way here and kill me. I should probably sound passive. Um...maybe I should mention how it may prevent future problems from happening?" He offered.

"The research would prevent occurrences such as what happened here in Arendelle?" Elsa chewed on the tip of the pen.

"Ah-...No, I wouldn't mention that. You have control of your powers far more than I do, and they need to get a sense of that." Tomas scratched his head. "More like, I would be staying here to prevent any further embarrassment.." Elsa continued chewing on the pen.

"Your studies here will prevent the family name from further being embarrassed? If connections can be made between Arenelle and the Southern Isles, it would re-open kingdom expansion and trade possibilities, as well as set respect and awe for both kingdoms?" She said.

"That...that's better than what I could say," He nodded in approval. "Let's write it down-ah...paper. Do you have more paper?" He laughed sheepishly. "It sounds very convincing." Elsa walked over to her desk and motioned for Tomas to follow, and she pulled a few fresh pieces of parchment out of one of the oak drawers. "I need to write slowly so that it looks really thought out. I mean, it's only been a day," he mumbled to himself. As he began, Elsa switched from pacing around the room to watching over his shoulder. He underlined words here and there, and scribbled on with a concentrated expression. He glanced up after reaching the bottom. "Should we include a letter from you as well? To my mother at least?" He asked.

"If you wish, or rather, I can sign my approval at the bottom." She rested her chin on top of Tomas's head, and his neck muscles stiffened to keep his head steady.

"A signature works, it may seem more…" He tapped his chin thoughtfully, "It may convince them that I played a larger role in creating the idea." Elsa nodded slightly in agreement and moved back to pacing her bedroom. I hope they don't get mad...or get the wrong idea, Tomas thought to himself. He slapped on a signature at the end, and tilted his head for Elsa to come do the same. She swirled out her name in elegant, looping letters, and reached in a smaller drawer for a rubber stamp and wad of wax.

"With my seal, it shouldn't be denied." She grinned as she tilted the wax towards Tomas, who rolled his eyes as he heated it with a flaming finger. With dark blue wax dripping down, she folded the paper and it was sealed with a small snowflake design.

"Great, only 11 more to write." Elsa chuckled and grabbed some more paper.

"John didn't seem overly excited about it, but I think he's just worried about me making our kingdom's image even worse." Tomas frowned.

"I won't let it happen," Elsa said confidently. She ruffled up his hair with a childish smile and headed out her door. Tomas slumped down in the chair.

Elsa jogged down the hall to her own advisor's room, and knocked on the door quietly. A creaky old woman shuffled out in her long nightgown, squinting out at the queen.

"Your majesty?" Her voice groaned like the old floorboards under her feet.

"Tarin, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have important news that needs to be sent out promptly." Elsa tugged on her braid. "It involves Prince Tomas and his kingdom."

"Oh...of course, I understand. Let me just get dressed, and I'll take it." Tarin smiled and her wrinkles lifted to the crease in her eyes. "I'm assuming you want it sent faster than by ship?"

"If at all possible." Elsa shifted from one foot to the other. "With all my respect, Tarin."

"I can take it to the cages and have it sent by air. I would send a separate message back with the ship, however, just in case." Tarin chuckled and patted Elsa's head. "You don't have to worry about it, my dear." Elsa thanked her curtly and headed back to her room, where Tomas was curled over the desk scrawling out another letter.

"Tomas? The letter will be sent out soon." Elsa rubbed her eyes and walked over to her bed, flopping down onto her stomach.

"Hm? Yeah, thank you. I'll be out of here in a second. I'm writing the last letter to send back with John. I also made a duplicate of the first letter to go to my mother and my oldest brother. They're not very long, but they get the point across." Elsa mumbled incoherently into a pillow, and he laughed softly. "I'm done, don't worry. I'll get out of here so you can sleep," He smiled and pushed the chair back to stand. He flinched when Elsa threw a pillow at him.

"I don't wanna be alone," She grumbled sleepily.

"Well, what about your sister? Don't sisters do this kind of thing?" Tomas rubbed the back of his neck. "My brothers and I did when I was younger, but then we got in trouble for breaking things in the castle." Elsa rolled onto her back and exhaled towards the ceiling.

"She's with Kristoff." She frowned and rolled a small snowball in between her fingers and threw it up at the ceiling. A gentle snow began to fall down on their faces and she looked over at Tomas curiously. "I want to see what you can do," She grinned. "I know that you can make wittle baby fire, but I want to see more."

Tomas's smile dropped and he folded his arms.

"I can't. I'd set the room on fire. If I try to make anything too big, it gets out of control. But...I guess I can kind of do one thing," He sighed and shuffled unwillingly to the window and opened it to let in the cool night air. "I need a vent. Also, the snow needs to go, or else everything will be soaking wet afterwards." Without moving from her comfy spot on the bed, Elsa waved her arms up and gathered the snow in a giant ball that grew smaller and smaller until it faded from existence. The room looked as if nothing had been touched. Tomas nodded and puffed out his cheeks. "It's not really much, but…" He let out a constant stream of steam through his pursed lips that spread throughout the entire room. The foggy mist clung to Elsa's face and hair, freezing into little ice crystals. After circling the air, the steam made its way to the window and the room was empty of vapor.

"Oofta!" Elsa grinned and pulled her hair up off of her shoulders. "Do it again!" She begged.

"Are you sure? I don't want to freak anyone out…" He frowned, looking at your door.

"It feels good actually," Elsa smiled more as she tied her hair up into a high ponytail, "Besides, you can't tell me this wouldn't help you relax after a long day."

"I...guess, though I'm always constantly warm." He gave in and blew out a harder breath of air that fogged up the room once more. Elsa hopped off of her bed and placed her cool hand against Tomas's cheek, causing a burst of steam to rise off as he blushed and sucked in a harsh breath.

"Does this feel any better?" She asked, moving her hand to the side of his neck. Her stray bangs hung down and clung to her wet skin, and Tomas gulped, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Y-Yeah," He admitted quietly, and Elsa blew cool air onto his face that created even more steam.

"That's so adorable!" She laughed. Tomas's eyebrows furrowed as he rolled his shoulders.

"What is?"

"You are!" Elsa wiped her glistening forehead and bit her lip innocently. "Can you take your steam back, I wonder?" Tomas just shrugged his broad shoulders. "Well try, then!" She encouraged.

"Eh...if anything, it may just make more steam as it touches my skin," Tomas mumbled.

"Well, try anyways. It's worth a shot, right? It'll give us more insight in our research."

"Eh, alright," He drew in another deep breath and let a stream of steam escape his lips. The wispy moisture circled around the ceiling for a few seconds, and as Tomas held out his hands, he sucked in the moisture, and it evaporated as the beadlets touched his skin. His eyebrows raised and he chuckled to himself. "Well. That shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did."

"So, you really didn't absorb it, you're just so hot that it evaporated." After a brief moment, Elsa's blue eyes widened and her pale skin reddened to that equal to a tomato. "I-I mean, you're not hot...well, temperature; I mean, fire is so hot!" Her voice wavered and she covered her blushing face.

"I don't know how hot-er, warm-how warm I get when I'm actually trying to use my powers." He said.

"We could measure that too," She tapped her chin in thought, "I wonder how warm you can get. Does it cause any physical damage to you?"

"No, it doesn't." He replied curtly, "Unless magma hurts me, nothing I've ever created has hurt my physically. Fire doesn't burn my skin. I can literally set my self on fire, and I can create a flame internally." Tomas grinned, proud of himself. "I at least know a little bit about what I can do, I guess, but controlling the flame is another thing. Once I start a fire, I can't usually stop it, and then other people have to either put the flame out, or put me out." His warm smile faded quickly.

"How does the cool weather and snow bother you? Because if we went up to my ice castle, there would be no one to hurt, and nothing would catch on fire. It would be a controlled environment, and you could practice freely." Elsa smiled encouragingly.

"I'm able to keep myself warm just fine; I only wear thick clothes when I'm working with a large flame. Otherwise, normal clothing burns right off." Elsa mentioned being able to put out his clothes with a small blast of snow, and he nodded in approval. "In a way, we are each other's teachers," He added, "But what on Earth can I teach you?" His eyebrows raised and then scrunched in thought, "I mean, you've figured out how to reverse your powers. Maybe you can help me figure out the same thing?"

"Anna was the one to teach me that...after I froze her solid…" Elsa frowned and folded her arms over her chest.

"Well, I certainly didn't learn anything after my fiance-..." Tomas shook his head before continuing on another thought. "Anyway, you needed someone to help you, and right now, I need someone to help me. It's beneficial to me that you'll be able to prevent anything from being damaged." Elsa tugged and fiddled with her braided hair as Tomas began to pace around in small circles. "I would have never even thought about asking you for help. I thought these next couple of days, I was going to have to pretend to be normal while not making my family look even worse."

"Does all of your family know?" Elsa asked, flopping down comfortably onto her bed.

"Of course. I was the cause of an innocent death." Tomas glanced down at his hands. "The only reason I was the one to come here was because no one else wanted to take the shame. Otherwise, I'm not usually allowed anywhere." Elsa raised a hand towards him from the bed and gave a sympathetic smile.

"I trust you. You won't hurt anyone here." She comforted. Tomas sat next to her on the edge of the bed and let out a long sigh. He glanced up when she squeezed his hands. "Come on! It'll be fun! Everything will be okay!"

"That's a word I've never used to describe it, but I suppose you're right." Tomas sighed again and laid his head back on one of the white pillows. After a few long minutes of nightly silence, he rolled onto his stomach. "I...suppose I should get back to my room, huh? He asked weakly. Elsa let out a small whine of protest, followed by one of the most irresistible pouts he'd ever seen. "Well, I can hardly sleep here! I-I guess I can stay a little while longer though," He smiled faintly.

"Tell me a bedtime story?" She asked innocently. Her request was met with a blank stare. "Come on! You have to know a good story! Then I'll let you sleep." Elsa scooted a bit closer to Tomas now, looking on with expectant eyes.

"Um...I don't really know any-" He protested.

"Well, then just stay with me." Elsa yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily, and a small blush covered Tomas's face.

"I feel as though that will be frowned upon," He whispered to her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and shot her hand out towards the door, freezing the frame solid with an icy blast. Tomas gulped hard.

"But...in the morning, if I'm seen coming out of your room-"

"Then go." She interrupted, rolling onto her side, "You can just melt the door then, I just wanted to hear a story." Tomas groaned inwardly and looked over at the sleepy queen. He leaned over on his side, with her curved back almost touching his chest.

"Ah...Once upon a time, there reigned a beautiful queen who was remarkably fond of hearing stories. Unlike the other members of royalty, she had a designated story-teller; one who held a large estate granted by his Majesty, on the condition of telling her a new story every night before she went to sleep. Many indeed were the stories he knew, so that he had already achieved a good old age without failing;even for a single night in his task. Such was the skill he displayed, that whatever cares of state or other annoyances might prey upon the monarch's mind, her story-teller was sure to send her to sleep-..." Tomas's gentle voice carried on through his story, and comforted Elsa so much that when he had finished, she laid there as if she was waiting for another chapter.

She blinked sleepily up at him after a moment,

"Wonderful story, Tomas...I won't bother you for another…"

"I'm no good at storytelling," He laughed softly, "That's a popular one from my home. I've heard it so many times; it's no surprise you liked it." He covered a wide yawn with the back of his hand, and Elsa curled up into his side.

"Go to bed, sleepy." Her snowy hair fell over her face and her eyes closed. Tomas let out another long yawn and relaxed back against the downy.

"But then I have to...unfreeze…" His voice trailed off as Elsa draped a hand lazily over his mouth, and he lightly kissed the tender skin on the underside of her wrist. With her hand still on his cheek, the pair fell into a blissful night of comfy rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch.7

Morning sunlight shone in through the folds of light blue curtains. Within the queen's bedroom, Elsa and Tomas were still fast asleep; fully dressed but entangled within each other's arms. Her messy mane was on top of Tomas's arm, and after she shifted in her sleep, he was the first of the two to awaken. He attempted to roll over but the weight on his arm held him back. Groggily looking over, his breath caught in his throat as he saw Elsa's sleeping form mere inches away from his own body. She's just as beautiful when she's sleeping...

"No more cupcakes, Anna…" Elsa let out a soft snore and curled up into Tomas's side, which was quickly heating up with his embarrassment and panic. As gently as he could, he slipped his arm out from underneath her face and shook her shoulder softly.

"Queen Elsa," Tomas whispered softly, "I need you to unfreeze the door…" Elsa blinked slowly and rubbed her eyes; groaning as the sunlight covered her sleepy features.

"Tomas…?" She mumbled drowsily, "what are you...what?" Her icy eyes widened as she regained more consciousness. Tomas's hand flew to her mouth before she could make another sound.

"Shhh! Don't yell, please!" He begged. "We fell asleep on your bed. I need to sneak out of here without anyone seeing or hearing me…" Elsa's hands clutched the door frame and the ice began to disappear into the air as if it had never been in the room to begin with. "I didn't do anything, I swear...just please, stay quiet," He pleaded, turning the door handle quietly. Elsa peered around the door, glancing down both ends of the hallways. With an affirmative nod, Tomas let out a sigh and stepped out. "I'm just going to sneak back into my room now. This never happened, okay? I just don't want to ruin my chances of staying here is all. I'll be there for an hour or so, and I'll see you later." He briefly pulled Elsa into his arms for a quick hug before tiptoeing into his room; closing the door behind him. Tomas launched himself into his untouched sheets and curled up into a ball. Good lord… From the wall touching his bedframe, he could hear the muffled voices of Anna and Kristoff. They stay together? Unmarried? Tomas sat up slowly and pressed an ear to the cool wall. "Anna, you're just as bad as I am!" Kristoff yelled, followed by a loud thumping sound. "HEY! No sled for you today then, young man!" She hollered; another thumping sound. "Well excuse me, princess!" Kristoff laughed. Tomas concluded the strange sound to be the pair attacking each other with pillows. "I'm gonna shower." Kristoff stated, and Tomas quickly lost interest. He laid back down on his cream-colored sheets. "What did I just hear?" He muttered to himself. "An unmarried princess with a man courting her? That's still highly suggest-" A knock on the door cut him off from talking to himself. "Prince Tomas, open the door." It was John. Tomas groaned and slugged unwillingly over to the door. "Good morning, John." He smiled faintly. "Forgive me; I was up late writing for everyone and I'm still a little tired, I guess." "Quite." The advisor straightened his black jacket and cleared his throat. "We are departing for the Isles today; you may want to go address Hans before we leave without you. Without your...how should I say, influence...on the ship, he may be prone to acting up." "He really upset Queen Elsa yesterday. I almost think that she should have a final word with him as well." The corners of Tomas's mouth tugged down and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, I left the letters in her room last night anyways. I'll go pick them up once she's decent...uhm, I suppose I can wait to bathe until after you've departed, yes?" He fiddled with the hair behind his ears and stepped around John awkwardly into the hallway. With an unimpressed look on his face, John walked the opposite direction. ~~~ Elsa slumped off of her silk sheets onto the floor. I slept better than I have in so many nights, but now I don't want to do anything...She crawled over to her white wardrobe, randomly searching through her dresses. She handled a dark green dress that hung to the floor, and slipped it on. Not a moment after she pulled it up over her chest, Tomas had arrived at her door. "Tomas! Just wait a minute!" She quickly straightened her dress out and slipped on some shoes; composing herself to her royal stature. "Come in now." Tomas slowly opened the door, peeking his head around the edge. "John says they are preparing to leave. I need to have a final word with Hans to influence him, so that he behaves himself on the ship. I just wanted to know if you were going to do the same; after what happened yesterday and all…" Elsa slipped on a black jacket over her shoulders and frowned. "I suppose I should. Though, perhaps it would be better to leave things as they were." "If you have anything to say, now is the time. It may be good to instill some fear into him, and you have the status that could do that. However, the choice is yours, Queen Elsa. You certainly don't have to." "Alright," Elsa nodded, fastening up the jacket buttons. "I'll see you this afternoon then?" "Erm, well, we'd have to go see him now. John made it seem like we only have an hour or so. I don't even know where I can bathe yet, but I figured I would just wait until after everyone is gone." Tomas scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You can use my room if you like, but if I'm actually going to try and scare him, I have to go alone." Her light features darkened. "Ah, you have a bath in your…?" His cheeks reddened slightly and he shook his head. "N-no, that's not proper. I should probably use the guest bath. No more risks," He joked lightly. "Where is it? I can go see Hans and then clean myself up while you're down there." Elsa walked out of her room, pointing down the hall as she started to leave. "Down this hall past Anna's room; second door on the right next to the kitchen. I'll see to it that Anna has herself ready as well, and after all is said and done, we could head to the ice castle?" She offered lightly. "Yeah! Let's get started right away. I don't really have much to say to him anyway. I will see you soon." Tomas smiled faintly and turned down the opposite hallway towards the bath. He looked over his shoulder at Elsa and his voice dropped to a somber whisper. "Please...do not let anything he says get to you. He is warped, Elsa…" Tomas walked towards the kitchen. Elsa left the castle without a word to anyone and walked briskly onto the ship. Avoiding the boarding crew members, she walked below to the cell doors. The two guards standing watch at bowed in respect to her arrival. "I need to speak with Prince Hans, please." The guards glanced at each other briefly; eyebrows raised in concern and confusion. "Would you like us to accompany you, your Majesty?" One spoke, lifting up his bayonet from her path. She shook her head and walked to the last cell at the end of the small hallway. The only sounds were that of her feet padding against the wooden stairs and her heart pounding in her chest. Hans was curled up by the small window in his cell, and he watched as the crew members hustled about. Elsa cleared her throat quietly, and he lifted his head up slightly to look over his shoulder at her. "Ah...I came here to say that...your presence is never welcomed here in Arendelle again. You betrayed not only my kingdom, but my sister's innocent heart. She did nothing to deserve the cruelness in your soul." "Heh, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Hans rolled his eyes. "I'm no longer interested in keeping either one of those as it stands now." He faced back towards the window. "Run along, 'your highness', and keep on playing your little games." "Your eleven brothers will treat you justly, and I play no games here." She gripped the metal bars of his cell door, and a white ice quickly spread across the door and floorboards. Hans shifted slightly to sit up on the small window ledge. "I may be in a less desirable situation now, but so are you. One wrong move now, and it's all over. For good this ti-..." Hans looked back at Elsa, fully facing her now. "Eleven? Where is Tomas?" "Prince Tomas is remaining here to keep you safe. I doubt he would treat you with the same respect as the others will." She turned her back to the door. "I am not concerned with any mistakes…" "To keep ME safe? Oh, that's sick. The little monsters are falling in love!" Hans snickered. "That's a sure disaster waiting to happen." Elsa slammed her palms against the metal cell bars. "Shut your mouth! I-I'm not...he's...it wouldn't work regardless. I'm assisting him in self control, and the benefits of his powers. Neither of us are monsters here, Hans. You are." Her voice wavered slightly. "Really now? I've never killed anyone to my knowledge. And just because you don't think it means anything, doesn't mean he feels the same. Tomas has quite the soft spot." "I never killed anyone." Elsa spat out coldly. "You DID, however, try to kill both my sister and I." Her shaking hands clutched the cell bars tightly, causing a slow ice to form through the walls and floor of Hans's cell. "Burn in hell, Hans." Elsa turned curtly and walked away. "He's killed before, and he'll do it again!" Hans called after her. "So will you! A pair of monsters! A pair of freaks! I'm glad 'll be safe away from the two of you, unlike the rest of your poor people!" Elsa let out a pained cry of anguish and thrust her hand towards Hans, pinning a set of sharp icicles into his clothes. Hans's eyes shut tight, opening wide as he realized he was pinned to the wall. "Shut UP!" Elsa took off running in terror. "You can't even control your temper! You could've killed me!" He hollered. "Am I just stuck here until we leave?!" Elsa continued running, sobbing hard and creating ice beneath each desperate step she took. When she reached the castle, she flew past Tomas's room and slammed her door. Sharp icicles grew down from each corner of her room and she covered her face. I'm not a monster...Neither is Tomas...Conceal...don't feel…


End file.
